Long-distance transfer and routing of static magnetic fields

Phys Rev Lett. 2014 Jun 27;112(25):253901. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.253901. Epub 2014 Jun 23.

Abstract

We show how the static magnetic field of a finite source can be transferred and routed to arbitrary long distances. This is achieved by using transformation optics, which results in a device made of a material with a highly anisotropic magnetic permeability. We show that a simplified version of the device, made by a superconducting-ferromagnet hybrid, also leads to an excellent transfer of the magnetic field. The latter is demonstrated with a proof-of-principle experiment where a ferromagnet tube coated with a superconductor improves the transfer of static magnetic fields with respect to conventional methods by a 400% factor over distances of 14 cm.